Between Homes
by the time and effort
Summary: James Williams is a happy demigod.  Good family and life inspite of the lack of a mother.  One night, however, everything falls through.  His house is destroyed his family is attacked and the guilt is more than he can bear.  He sets of for a new home.


_I don't own __Percy Jackson and the Olympians__._

_**Between Homes**_

_The End of The Old_

_ There was no way to prevent it. It was unforeseeable. The monsters came swiftly and ferociously. It was mid-winter and it was snowing gently as we gathered for dinner in the cozy dining room around the old wooden rectangular table with old coffee stains and a long scratch that spanned the width of the table. My father sat across the table and my younger sisters on either side. We ate and laughed and talked about Christmas and the family gathering for Christmas morning, and I should have seen it coming._

_ A shadow raced past the window over the sink and I ignored it. What could go wrong on such a perfectly average night. On a night where our protection from the outside world was so complete by the warm lighting of the room sheltering us from the cold. But all too soon reality came crashing through the kitchen wall causing two lights to shatter and rain glass down on the old table and let the cold in to our cozy sphere of protection. The winged serpents dove at the old table around which we sat before its end was finally brought about by the horrible creatures._

_ My father and I dove to protect the girls as debris flew through the air leaving us bruised and bleeding. I quickly rose to my feet holding my sister and I ran following my father through the house not daring to turn back. I tripped over one of my sisters balls I ran through the dark living room, which, as it turned out, saved my life because a serpent flew by my head missing by inches as I fell. It turned around as I got to my feet. There was no running, the creature was blocking my path unless I wanted to go back and face more flying snakes, so I faced it placing myself between it and my sister. It charged again going for my head, jaw unhinged ready to swallow me whole. I was knocked to the ground as I tried to hold its jaw open and stay out of its mouth. I rolled it over, hitting the couch as I did, trying to detach its skull from the vertebra when I heard a scream._

_ I looked up to find an anaconda with the wings of a falcon was constricting my youngest sister, Aria. I immediately abandon the one I was fighting and grabbed the nearest chair. Screaming I ran to the winged serpent and smashed the chair over the its head causing it collapse and release my sister whom lay unconscious or dead in the snakes coiled body. As I gently removed her delicate body I noticed her dark skin had paled and her body hung limp in my arms. The first snake flew at me again but with new found strength and agility I kicked it in the head and ran out the door, driven by desperation and my sisters fragile state. I burst through the wooden front door to find my dad in the yard running back towards the house._

_ "Dad," I screamed," take Aria and run."_

_ "Come on then" he yelled eyes wide in panic as sweat dripped his hairline sucking in deep ragged breaths._

_ "No dad I have to kill them or they'll just follow us," I said as the racket in the house grew._

_ "No we'll regroup and come up with something," he said shaking his head violently._

_ "Don't worry I have a plan," I called behind me as I ran back to the house knowing we didn't have much time. My dad shouted at me but it was washed away by the blood pounding in my ears and my racing heart. The was no time and no room for error. I had to focus to save my family._

_ I ran around the back side of the house and on to the stout wooden shed in the back yard. I opened it and amongst the gardening tools I found a gas can used to fill the lawn mower. I grabbed it and ran back to the hole in my house as quickly and quietly as I could while carrying nearly 5 gallons of gas. When I arrived I found the winged serpents gathering around the fire that lay in our cobble stone fireplace. It seemed the cold blooded creatures needed to keep warm, but then why would they be here in the snow? I didn't have time to worry about that I needed to kill them and make sure they didn't have the chance to assault my family again._

_ I crept through the hole in the wall that had once been a dull yellow with a glass door in the center. I slunk along the wall like a shadow which is no easy task with the awkward grip and weight of the gas can. At last I reached the stove that stood at the end of the counter so that the side was exposed. I set down the gas can and attempted to move the stove. I was anxious because if I alerted the serpents to my presence then my plan would fail and I would not be able to escape. I slid the stove am inch from the wall and it made a low scraping sound against the smooth tile. I cautiously looked back towards the fire where three snakes bathed in the warmth, but they seemed uncomfortable or anxious like they knew there was a demigod around and they should be hunting him right now, but they did not look towards him or make to move away from the fire. I put the gas can down in its side and let a small stream that lead in to the mouth of the can like a fuse. _

_ I took a deep breath. This was the tricky part I was about to pull the gas line to the stove and when I did the gas would be released and it would hiss out the pipe and alert the snakes. After that I would need a little time to let the gas spread a bit but hopefully stay dense enough to ignite and light the gas can. I sighed, and pulled, and ran. The snakes turned just in time to see me spring over them and roll to face of the fire. I needed a burning log for my plan but I grabbed the fire poker instead. I swung it around me just in time to catch a snake in the face. I now crouched facing the snakes brandishing my weapon and the snakes hesitated. I slowly grabbed a log and just as a snake reared back to strike I stuck the poker between its eyes and leapt over the monster and sprinted back to the kitchen._

_ My attack hadn't killed the beast nor had it slowed the other two down much. Before you knew it I had my back against the wall again. I jumped up on to the counter right next to the sink not five yards from the gas can and if you tried you could place the smell of gas in the air but it was faint because much of it was being carried out side. The snakes were closing in slowly now wary of another surprise attack. I threw the log at the anaconda and was out the window before he could dodge it._

_ I felt the explosion in my gut. It wasn't enormous but just big enough to set the kitchen alight. After five minutes smoke was pouring out of the window and I just stood back and watched. The ambulance and fire tucks arrived just in time to see my dive to safety. A firefighter had to force me away from the house so he could put it out. The snakes were gone. I was escorted to an ambulance but I wasn't about to sit and let them examine me. I needed to make sure my sister was okay._

_ "Dad!" I shouted as I pushed past firefighters and paramedics._

_ When we connected it was in a desperate hug. "Come," he said, "it's Aria."_

_ We all but ran to the ambulance to find Aria on a stretcher surrounded by paramedics with my other sister Jessica by her feet. "She's not breathing," with that one short sentence I stopped breathing. I shut down, went numb. I moved through the motions unaware of time or what was happening around me. I wound up holding Jessica's hand while my dad rode with Aria in the ambulance to the hospital. Some people were telling me to move and that they would take me to the hospital and that my sister would be alright but I just stood. Then a I felt a tear run down my cheek. I looked in to Jessica's big brown eyes full of tears. I knelt down and hugged her tight. For the first time in my life I whispered a prayer to my mother in Ancient Greek. If there was ever a time I needed a god or goddess it was now._

_ But why would I expect Athena to save my sister._

_ When the officially pronounced Aria dead I was not surprised. I couldn't blame the doctor, I couldn't even blame Athena. I let the snake crush her. She was probably dead before the ambulance even got there. She was beyond the repair of even a god. I thought about nothing in the days leading up to the funeral and when the coffin went in to the ground they may as well have buried me as with her._

_ I looked at my dad and Jessica while they wept for or fallen family member couldn't bear it. The sadness was too great and I was to blame. I'm the demigod. I brought the monsters and I couldn't save her. I needed to go. Run from the sadness and the guilt. _

_ After the funeral I found my dad and said, "I'm sorry."_

_ His dark eye were bright with tears as he said, "It wasn't your fault."_

_ I glared at him I knew the game. He would tell me it wasn't my fault and that I did everything I could to save her so I decided to skip to the end. "I'm going to camp."_

_ He sighed. "I know I can't stop you but I think you should know we will miss you and you're always welcome if you decide to come back. You'll find your way I'm sure I'm just sad it had to come to this."_

_ I bowed my head and looked at my feet. I had hoped he would try to stop me. It would have made it easier but I was sure I couldn't stay. "I'll never put you or Jessica's lives in danger again," I said and I turned and walked away._


End file.
